Removable Pull Rod Assembly for Low-Clearance Toolbox Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toolboxes with trolleys or pull bars are too tall to fit into the trunks of vehicles with lower height, such as pickup trucks, which are commonly used by professional maintenance workers, due to limitations in the maximum pull-out height and minimum retraction height.
Innovation Solution
A removable pull rod assembly with a push button and plug mechanism that allows the pull rod to be easily installed or removed, featuring a push button with two positions to engage or disengage with the fixed rod, enabling adjustable height adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the pull rod is fixed at maximum pull-out height, then the toolbox has sufficient pulling capability and stability, but the overall height becomes too high to fit into vehicle trunks with lower clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The pull rod is designed to transition from a fixed structure to a dynamic, removable structure. The plug with push button mechanism allows the pull rod to be easily inserted or removed from the fixed rod, enabling the height to be adjusted by simply attaching or detaching the pull rod component, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining sufficient pulling height and adapting to limited vehicle trunk clearance
Solution Approach 2:
The pull rod assembly is divided into separable components: the fixed rod attached to the toolbox and the removable pull rod portion. This segmentation allows the pull rod to be detached when vehicle trunk height is limited, reducing the overall height for storage while maintaining full functionality when the pull rod is attached for use
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pull rod structure is made removable to adapt to vehicle trunk height, then the adaptability to different heights is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components like push button and plug
Solution Approach 1:
The push button mechanism is integrated into the plug itself, which is already a necessary component for connecting the pull rod to the fixed rod. The push button serves dual functions: it secures the plug in place during normal operation and, when pressed, releases the plug to allow removal of the pull rod. This self-service design avoids adding separate locking and releasing mechanisms, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity while achieving the desired adaptability
3Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is used to ensure the pull rod stays in place during use, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to difficulty in quick removal
Solution Approach 1:
The push button acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's hand and the plug's locking position. During normal use, the push button remains in its default position, allowing the plug to be securely held by the fixed rod's groove, ensuring reliability. When removal is needed, the user simply presses the push button, which temporarily releases the plug's constraint, allowing easy withdrawal. This intermediary mechanism maintains both secure locking during use and ease of removal when needed
Data Source
AI summary
A fixed rod and a pull rod slidingly engageable in the fixed rod with a plug mounted inside the bottom end of the pull rod and a push button mounted at the bottom of the plug. The push button has a first position and a second position with respect to the plug. When the push button is in the first position with respect to the plug, the pull rod is slidable up and down inside the fixed rod. When the push button is located in the second position with respect to the plug, the pull rod is removable from the fixed rod.